Kyros the Overlord

Kyros the Overlord is the ruler of the Northern Empire and the Tiers, following their conquest. The Fatebinders implement the Overlord's laws and will, subjugating the conquered and harnessing them for the benefit of Kyros's mighty empire.

Background
Kyros is a name out of legend. For centuries the Overlord has consolidated power, sending vast armies to swallow entire realms. The most powerful mystic the world has ever seen, Kyros can issue Edicts - magical proclamations that level cities, spread pox, sunder the lands, or change the course of seasons. Able to deliver suffering and woe to every corner of Terratus without leaving the Capital, few have seen the Overlord in person. Though Kyros' name is the single most recognized name in the world, only the Archons can say what the Overlord looks like. The Archons, masters of magic throughout the known world, bow to Kyros - and the Overlord will readily destroy any Archons who are unwilling to kneel. These sorcerers and madwomen lead the Overlord's armies in near-endless conquest. As the realms of the known world fall to the Overlord, these captured territories are divided amongst the Archons, who rule in the Overlords name. No one truly knows how Kyros came to power. However, It is known that before they became capable of their conquests, they visited a Spire in the far southeast in -50 TR. However, before the man claiming this as fact could divulge more, he was struck down by a Fatebinder's axe. Kyros claimed the title of Overlord with the first Edict of Storms, cast to subjugate the Cloud Barons and the Realm of Medrev. This date also marks year zero in the new calendar (0 TR).

All can agree that Kyros is the most powerful Archon in recent history, determined to bring Terratus peace through power. With hundreds of Archons at their disposal and countless armies (of which the Disfavored and the Scarlet Chorus are but two), capped off with the seeming monopoly on Edicts, they are in a position to achieve this. With the fall of The Tiers in 430 TR, the conquest of Terratus was complete. How does the Overlord control the known world? Beyond longevity that guarantees a consistent long-term policy, they are also a skilled tactician and manipulator, playing off the factions inhabiting the lands they rule and would rule, sowing discord in advance of the main assault by their armies. Fractious and divided, few can stand up to the power of their politics and armies dismantling the opposition piecemeal.

Interactions

 * Kyros is not interacted with directly, but remains a presence throughout the campaign in the Tiers, through their Edicts and more. Their intrigue to make the Fatebinder the Archon of Spires, as well as to dispose of some of the most powerful Archons in their service, seems to be geared towards balancing out their Empire - and avoid it tearing itself apart, since with the conquest of the Tiers, the whole of known Terratus has come under their control.

Behind the scenes
Kyros was inspired by the real historical ruler Cyrus the Great, known in Greek as "Κῦρος" ("Kyros"/"Kuros"). Cyrus conquered all previously civilized states of the Ancient Near East and united them under his rule as the largest Empire the world had yet seen. The edicts are a reference to what is known in the Bible as the "Edict of Cyrus", which authorized the formerly exiled Jews to settle the land of Israel.